Testing of Bangabandu Satellite-1 done, says BTRC Chairman

The testing of Bangladesh’s first satellite, Bangabandhu-1 has been completed, said Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Shahjahan Mahmood.

‘The testing results will be known by Saturday afternoon (Bangladesh time),’ he said.

He said that all the data of the testing have been sent to SpaceX headquarters in Los Angeles. SpaceX will inform the results after analyzing the data on Saturday evening.

Mesbahuzzaman, project director of Bangabandhu-1, said that the testing has been done at 9:00am (Bangladesh time) on May 5 and at 7:25pm (Florida time) of May 4. Now, they are waiting for results.

He also said that if everything remains okay in the testing result, the SpaceX will fix the date for the satellite launching.

Earlier on Friday quoting prime minister’s ICT affairs adviser Sajeeb Wazed, a top US chapter Awami League leader said that Bangladesh’s first satellite, Bangabandhu-1, which was scheduled to start its journey towards the orbit on May 7 next as per the latest timeframe, is not ready yet for the launch.

US AL President Dr Siddiqur Rahman told UNB on Friday that US company SpaceX informed Joy that the Bangladeshi satellite could not be made ready for the launch.

Sources at SpaceX said the launching date will be fixed once all the preparations are completed after the test.

The launching of Bangabandhu-1 was deferred on Tuesday for technical reasons and unfavourable weather.

With the latest one, the launching schedule of the country’s lone satellite has been deferred eight times.

The Bangabandhu Satellite with a capacity of 1,600 megahertz will have 40 transponders and the physical equipment of the space capsule that measures the capacity.

On October 21, 2015, the Cabinet Purchase Committee approved the project to buy the satellite system.

Bangladesh will be the 57th country when Bangabandhu-1 to be launched into the orbital slot on 119.1 degree east longitude which (slot) was bought from Russian satellite company ‘Intersputnik’ for US$ 28 million in January 2015.